Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, during a visit to a military base near Taiwan, confirmed that plans to deploy medium-range missiles to the base are progressing as tensions rise between Tokyo and Beijing regarding the situation surrounding Taiwan.
“The deployment can help lower the chance of an armed attack on our country,” Koizumi stated to reporters on Sunday, concluding his first trip to the Yonaguni base, located approximately 110 kilometers east of Taiwan. He dismissed claims that this move would escalate regional tensions as “not accurate.”
The planned missile deployment is part of Japan’s broader military expansion in its southern island chain. This initiative reflects growing concerns in Tokyo about China’s increasing military strength and the potential for conflict over Taiwan.
Fears have intensified following comments made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concerning the self-governing territory, which Beijing views as a province that should be integrated into China, even by force if necessary. On November 7, Takaichi raised the hypothetical scenario of Japan possibly deploying its military alongside allied nations if China were to attack Taiwan, which prompted a strong backlash and economic retaliation from Beijing.
After drawing criticism, Takaichi reverted to the government’s long-standing policy of refraining from discussing specific military scenarios. Beijing, however, continues to demand a formal retraction of her comments. A Japanese official asserted on Saturday that claims regarding a shift in Japan’s position on a Taiwan crisis are “entirely baseless.”
When questioned about the possible ramifications of a Taiwan crisis on Yonaguni, Koizumi declined to comment on hypothetical situations.
Before visiting Yonaguni, Koizumi inspected military bases on Ishigaki and Miyako Islands. The Ishigaki base is equipped with anti-ship missiles, while Miyako serves as a center for air surveillance and other military assets, including ammunition storage. Japan and the United States maintain significant military bases on the larger island of Okinawa, located further east.
Yonaguni, known for its scuba diving tourism, also hosts a surveillance radar facility that monitors nearby seas and airspace. Additionally, it has an electronic warfare unit introduced in 2024, capable of disrupting enemy communications.
Recently, the U.S. military conducted training exercises involving the transfer of supplies from Okinawa to Yonaguni, simulating the establishment of a forward-operating base in the event of a regional crisis.
Tensions escalated when China conducted military drills around Taiwan in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit in 2022, with ballistic missiles landing just south of Yonaguni—underscoring the island’s close proximity to potential conflicts over Taiwan.
During a meeting with Yonaguni’s mayor, Koizumi emphasized the need for Japan to bolster its defense capabilities and strengthen its partnership with the U.S. military.
“Today, Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II,” Koizumi remarked. “To protect the peaceful livelihoods of the Japanese people—especially those on Yonaguni—we must enhance the capabilities of the Self-Defense Forces.”
Yonaguni marks the endpoint of the Ryukyu island chain, which extends several hundred miles from mainland Japan. As tensions with China have escalated in recent days, Chinese state-controlled media have published articles questioning Japan’s sovereignty over the Ryukyu Islands and recalling the islands’ historical independence several centuries ago.
While few residents of the Ryukyu Islands, also known as Okinawa Prefecture, seek independence, there is concern about being drawn into a regional conflict if military installations on the islands become targets.
